Talking with a UbiDuo

A few weeks ago I spoke at Inc’s GROWCO conference in Nashville. After my talk, I had a scheduled book signing over in the conference bookstore area.

Most people came up, said hi, chatted a bit, bought a book, shook hands, and then moved on.

But one guy came up, put a laptop-like device on the table, unhinged it, spun one side around to me, flipped up a little screen, and then did the same on his side with his half of the device. It took about 10 seconds to set up. Then he started typing.

The screen was split in two horizontally. At the top was what he was typing. On the bottom was what I was typing. No explanation was necessary – it just worked all in real-time.

We started typing back and forth. I wasn’t sure what was happening at first. Why was I using this thing? What was this thing? I knew how to use it, but what was it for?

Then he explained that he was deaf and that he was using this machine so he could communicate with people without an interpreter or without the other person knowing how to sign.

I was moved. I’ve been in a billion chats before. But this was different. This wasn’t about convenience, this was about necessity. I was able to communicate with someone who couldn’t hear me. He was able to communicate with someone who didn’t understand sign language. We were face to face. It was an amazing moment.

We chatted like this for about 10 minutes.

Turns out, this guy’s name was Jason Curry and he was the inventor of the UbiDuo.

The company and invention was born out of frustration. Back in 2005 he was sitting across from his father at Perkins restaurant for breakfast, but they just couldn’t communicate as freely as he liked because his dad doesn’t know how to sign. That’s where it all started.

nborlaug

on 10 Jun 14

I commend the initiative, but why is UbiDuo better than gchatting or whatsapp-ing with someone?

Jason Fried

on 10 Jun 14

@nborlaug Because it’s a piece of hardware that the deaf person can carry with them to have a conversation with anyone in-person. There are no requirements for the other person other than “can you type?”. Or imagine something like being at a bank and needing to talk to the teller. How do you do that? Get them to add you to their gchat? Huh? And what if you don’t have your phone handy? Or what if you don’t have a Google account? Or a whatsapp account? Or whatever other next thing comes along? These are very real situations and having a dedicated device that guarantees a conversation is key.

Abhiraj

pell

Paul

V2 could be a text to speach and speach to text version so both parties don’t have to type.

clifyt

on 11 Jun 14

I’m going to join in with everyone else.

Two iPads with FireChat - a piece of software that builds ad-hoc networks without any need to set up a network on your own, otherwise (it’s claim to fame is off-network communication and folks have been talking of using this sort of idea for emergencies as it will bridge through multiple devices extending its range even several miles depending on the chain of people using it -- all without using ‘real’ networks or setting up anything).

Get two iPads…or apparently this also supports a wide range of Android devices that can drop into this mode…and you are looking at well under $600. And for devices that can do far more than the $2000 product that can do one thing. Buy two devices…use one any way you want it to be used. Far easier to upgrade, and if something broke, it is a commodity part that could be found almost anywhere.

I use to write software for folks that had differing physical abilities and one of the first things I always had to do was to look to see if there was a way to do it cheaper and easier before I ever wrote any code or submitted a grant proposal.

Chris

on 11 Jun 14

I disagree on the iPads. For as easy to use as they are people have a difficult time using them (my Dad) or more importantly have a difficult time with touch (shaky hands old age).

With this, you just need to know how to spell. Press a button with a letter. No swipes, no passwords, no launching apps.

I cannot imagine the frustration this guy has to deal with on a day to day basis. What an awesome tool to make his and others lives easier and a whole lot better.

Shawn

on 12 Jun 14

Jason Fried makes some good points. It is a dedicated communication device. It simplifies the communication process between a deaf person and a hearing person allowing him to communicate in a very fluid manner. Typed conversations ebb and flow in real time just like between two people talking or signing to each other. I mean, real and deep conversations take place. I can’t imagine, on a professional level, mind you, a deaf person using a pen and paper to communicate with hearing people. That’s a limited and one-dimensional thinking. I get it how important real time conversation is without the need to hit the return button every single time. Not using real time conversation is kind of like hitting the return button in order to send your signing over the video phone or verbal response over the phone to another person and then wait for him to respond back. Who would want that? Would people want a technology like that? Apparently not. Kudos to Jason in helping bridge the communication gap between deaf and hearing people.

Gabriel

on 12 Jun 14

That’s probably the coolest thing I’ve heard in a while. Well played Jason Fried, glad to see these barriers being broken down in such an ingenious way!

Dave

on 12 Jun 14

The texas school for the deaf is right in downtown austin (in a very hip neighbourhood I might add) and it is always really cool to see the pizza/taco/burger joints around the campus having waitstaff that over the time working pick up sign. Talk about adapting to know your clientèle. This however is really cool and I agree about it being better to be a physical keypad. I HATE typing on an ipad, bought something yesterday and had to type out my e-mail address on the dudes ipad and couldn’t imagine all the self correction to just converse with someone if that was the mode of input.

Very very cool, I also love the touch that the video has no sound. Also good for him just to walk up and chat with you at the signing.

GeeIWonder

on 12 Jun 14

Great marketing:
Going up to Jason Fried and surprising/interesting him in what you’re doing with what is essentially a perfect use case (the teller-window case doesn’t hold water!)

Not so great marketing:
A video which shows a weak use case—a meeting context where there are a plethora of good tools already available. Some of the weaknesses of this particular option become very apparent. At least throw a blueprint or something in there to justify the whole thing.

Shawn

on 12 Jun 14

Geelwonder, exactly what are the “plethora of tools” that deaf people could use that would provide the same conversational level as talking or signing in real time while using a keyboard familiar to most people? And exactly what are “some of the weaknesses of this particular option” that have become “very apparent”? Readers cannot read your mind.

clifyt

on 13 Jun 14

Keyboard Cases for iPad can be found for less than $20.

Pull out the iPads, pop them into the keyboard case. Hit the button for CHAT. You don’t even have to have ANYTHING else installed. Now $650 as opposed to $2000. And is a commodity item. And has a keyboard everyone can use. And you can be just as ignorant about technology and still use it.

Shawn

on 13 Jun 14

clifyt, using your example, it does not fit as a communication tool where both people can converse together seeing the other person type in real time. Your example is not even on par with that of the voice phone or video phone because your example requires a return key to send out comments. Using the UbiDuo conversation is done in real time. That’s the big difference. As somebody once said, necessity is the mother of invention.

clifyt

on 13 Jun 14

Shawn—it is. Sorry that you can’t see this. I guess a return key is worth $1500…this is why adaptive software / hardware costs so much in this country.

Shawn

on 13 Jun 14

clifyt, well, people keep saying they can “do better” but it’s all talk and no action. That has been going on for years. Same story. It’s not simply just the cost of putting the hardware and software together thinking it can be done cheaply. Overhead cost is built into the price.

Lastly, no one wants a return key on their phone or video phone to communicate in real time. People see value on using UbiDuo for it’s real time face to face nature. It creates its own dividends with its 100% communication access done in real time. You can’t beat that.

GeeIWonder

on 13 Jun 14

Shawn—The meeting in the video is clearly set. Setting a meeting is done for a few reasons.

In general, it is more difficult (in terms of time ans space) to get a meeting in person than it is to e.g. video conference these days. Effectively everyone has the requisite software and hardware and the know-how to use it.

Still, people do set meetings in person. Again, for several reasons. One of them is to be able to look at the other person in the eyes and to get a sense of body language.

The video shows two people sitting across from each other staring at little screens, in very posed/rigid body language. The people almost look handcuffed. Contrast that with e.g. instant messaging with video over Skype and there’s no competition.

It’s probably a good tool for some use cases. So the video should maybe show a few of those instead.

Lee

on 13 Jun 14

Cliftyt I agree with Jason F, a dedicated and reliable device built for purpose is better than an ipad or similar based solution even if it costs more. If you are for example “cold” propositioning JF on something, you need to know your device works or you could lose serious money if you haul out your ipad and the wifi is down or whatever and you can’t communicate, a sellotape solution that is cheap may actually be very expensive if you depend on it to communicate

Lee

on 13 Jun 14

The UbiDuo site though can do with some TLC, right now it doesn’t do an overly great job of explaining the what, why, hows and so on

Derek Scruggs

on 13 Jun 14

This reminds me of a story my scuba instructor told me many years ago. In diving they teach you a few hand signals to deal with navigation and emergencies, but it’s pretty rudimentary. They also make little slates that work underwater if you need to communicate in more detail (I’ve never actually seen one used).

Anyway, he was leading a dive group of deaf people. Once they got underwater he realized that, relative to them, he was handicapped. They could use sign language to communicate, and it seemed to make the experience richer.

I personally love how quite and solitary diving is, but in certain circumstances I can envision sign language being really useful, especially if the dive master used it.

Shawn

on 13 Jun 14

Jason Fried’s article described a perfect example of how an unplanned meeting with a deaf person and was able to communicate 100% without missing a beat. That alone was enough to understand the ease of use using the UbiDuo. The video example was an example of one of the many things when meeting people can be done on the fly. Jason Fried just confirmed that.

GeeIWonder

on 14 Jun 14

Yeah Shawn, Jason’s write-up IS good marketing and appealing.

The meeting in the video is of course not on the fly, which right away makes a weaker use case. In fact the video actually shows the process of packing up and going to the meeting. If you were trying to make a video about how meetings are more cumbersome in person than on Skype, this would be an excellent beginning.

The example Jason described in his post is completely different and clearly generated enthusiasm on Jason’s part—wouldn’t it be good to share that experience with your potential customers? The write-up touches on the experience in a little detail. But what about all the bits he didn’t get too?

Advantages—you can’t do this as well over Skype – - See how he signed those important legal documents after discussing it in person and striking out section 4a.1? See how seamless a handshake/meeting start/end can be? See how it guarantees a conversation, as Jason said?

Challenges - What about eye contact - how does that work? What’s it like when there’s 3 people in the meeting? How does the bonding between father and son at Perkins really feel when there’s breakfast on the table and you’re digging through the hashbrowns?

If you’re selling advantages, show the advantages (or show them better, at least). If you’re selling control of many things on the fly and show the control.

There are all kinds of cool things the video could show and all kinds of answers/reassurance it could provide and all kinds of enthusiasm it could generate.
It’s easily fixable, but just parroting that the product is great and that we should all be nice won’t fix it.

Shawn

on 14 Jun 14

GeeIWonder,

I’m sure Jason Curry will take those suggestions to heart. They are good ones, too. There are many UbiDuo videos on YouTube that describe the advantages of using one.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxiDssR2yS4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-tc8G7oRwk

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYKQN3ORS40

Brendan

on 14 Jun 14

Liberating.

As discussed above, there are pros and cons to using custom hardware for this. It might be worth looking into using a few baseline macbook airs or netbooks running your favorite flavor of linux, a network cable or mobile hotspot (or maybe WiFi Direct? I don’t know enough about it), and unix talk (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Talk_%28software%29). A helper script could probably automate setup.

Shawn

on 15 Jun 14

Brendan, most people are not your average techie who can cobble together hardware components and install the right software to have at least a passing tool that can communicate (although not in real time) with your deaf person. It becomes a glorified chat tool where you need to hit the return button responding to every single comment. I’m sure people would go for that same idea for voice and video phone while people wait their turn to talk similar to using a CB radio. One way conversation back and forth like a tennis ball in a tennis tournament. Deaf people want to feel they are on the same level as hearing people by being in an interactive and fluid communication environment. That is what Jason Fried understood from the beginning.

“Long before instant messaging programs even existed, there was a Unix program for chatting called ‘talk’ (and variations like ‘ytalk’ and ‘ntalk’). The interface was not like that of chat programs today, where you type a message in the bottom, then hit Enter to send it over the wire to your friend. Instead, talk split the screen in half and transmitted everything you typed letter by letter.”

There are some screenshots there too. Looking at the UbiDuo, I suspect it’s custom hardware running a linux operating system using talk or one of its derivatives. Putting this integrated “it just works” solution together is a valuable service. Still, as others have noted above, some may not be able to afford a dedicated solution. Some might prefer to carry and use less conspicuous hardware. Since talk can run on many systems (for example, it’s already on every mac), packaging a user friendly software-only solution for this specific use could be a high-impact project for a bored hacker somewhere. Despite not running on custom hardware, that system could still meet the critical requirement of no delay, no return key, fluid communication.

This discussion is closed.

About Jason Fried

Jason co-founded Basecamp back in 1999. He also co-authored REWORK, the New York Times bestselling book on running a "right-sized" business. Co-founded, co-authored... Can he do anything on his own?